Elah
Girl name · #4277 in 2025 · Uniqueness 58/100
Elah is currently the #4277 girl name in the United States — 33 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #4295, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 54,545 girls born in 2025 was named Elah.
The 120-year story
Elah first appears in the Social Security records in 1905, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2015, when 33 girls were named Elah — good for #4295 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Elah per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Elah against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Elah in class?
Elah scores 58 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Elah is most common
State-level data for Elah is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Elah
Statistically, parents drawn to Elah tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ellah, Nilah, Naylah, Tylah, and Nalah.
EllahNilahNaylahTylahNalahAniylahAilahAmylah
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Elah | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | #4265 |
| 2024 | 15 | #7251 |
| 2023 | 10 | #9616 |
| 2022 | 18 | #6464 |
| 2021 | 26 | #4964 |
| 2020 | 20 | #5850 |
| 2019 | 18 | #6414 |
| 2018 | 14 | #7762 |
| 2017 | 18 | #6531 |
| 2016 | 18 | #6663 |
| 2015 | 33 | #4295 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8053 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8135 |
| 2012 | 14 | #8208 |
| 2011 | 19 | #6564 |
| 2010 | 18 | #6904 |
| 2009 | 14 | #8454 |
| 2008 | 19 | #6799 |
| 2007 | 18 | #7092 |
| 2006 | 7 | #13606 |
| 2005 | 7 | #13010 |
| 1924 | 5 | #5061 |
| 1920 | 7 | #3957 |
| 1915 | 6 | #3795 |
| 1905 | 5 | #1931 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Elah a popular girl name?
Elah ranked #4277 among girls in 2025 with 33 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4295.
When was the name Elah most popular?
Elah peaked in 2015, when 33 American girls received the name (ranked #4295 that year). Since 2015 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Elah?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 54,545 newborn American girls was named Elah. It scores 58/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.